


Bound In Frustration Part 2

by Lost_in_Labradorite_halls



Series: Bound In Frustration [2]
Category: Guardians of the Galaxy (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: Broken Bones, Canon Divergence - Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie), Gen, Near Death Experiences, Serious Injuries
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-06
Updated: 2021-01-06
Packaged: 2021-03-17 04:15:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,265
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28593852
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lost_in_Labradorite_halls/pseuds/Lost_in_Labradorite_halls
Summary: Flash back several years to what happened when Thanos broke Loki's neck. Loki remembers the horrific near death experience as he tries to figure out who Alice is.(Sequel to Bound in Frustration Part 1)
Series: Bound In Frustration [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2048968
Kudos: 4





	1. Chapter 1

Thanos had his massive hand around Loki’s throat. Thanos was crushing the life out of him. Crushing his throat. Loki heard his bones give in. His neck snapped. He couldn’t move. He couldn’t breathe. He fell to the ground, frozen and unmoving. Blood dripped from his nose. Thanos and his servants left the Statesman in a shadow of glowing purple that Loki could barely see. Thor crawled over to Loki. Loki’s body was stiff and broken. But as Thor leaned over him Loki could see his battle worn face. Loki couldn’t breathe, he couldn’t move. Thor could find no life in him even as the ship was breaking apart. Loki could do nothing to stop it. Could do nothing but wait for his brain to die from lack of oxygen. Thor gripped at Loki’s body. Loki was simply too numb to feel it as his brother screamed. 

The ship tore itself apart. Explosions burst from all directions and fire burned every part of him that was exposed. His face was strangely protected, shielded as Thor clung to him. Thor refused to let him go. Darkness consumed his vision as the last dregs of life left him. His brain, finally gave up, lack of oxygen being the way he went. And everything faded. 

He had hoped to see her, Frigga, in the halls of Valhalla. His last attempt, his suicide attempt at killing Thanos was not because he knew he had a chance with a butter knife. But because it was the only way to ensure the hero’s death. A death trying to defeat evil. A death in battle. The only sure way of making it to Valhalla. Loki had hoped for a parade and golden halls. He hoped his spirit to be light and there to be merriment. But that was not what Loki received. Instead, it hurt! Pain was everywhere and there was an awful pounding on his chest. 

Loki jerked upward and his eyes flew open. He was not in Valhalla, he was on a ship. A very filthy one at that. He could barely move and there were these awful gasps as he looked down and saw tubes entering the front of his chest. His small movements had shifted the smashed bones and cartilage that used to be the structure of his throat. He choked again, remembering Thanos strangling him. 

“Shh, brother, shh,” came the voice of Thor and Loki looked up and saw him, whole and there, a gentle hand on his forehead. “We are safe,” Thor promised him. “The Mad Titan believes us to be dead, he won’t seek us out again,” Thor told him. And as terrifying it was to hear of that, it somehow made Loki relax and sleep. 

The next time Loki woke up it was to the sight of Thanos’ daughter leaning over him. Loki fought her and fought to get away from her. He ended up on the floor, in a mass of pain and unconsciousness. 

His vocal cords had been severely damaged. He couldn’t speak, just gasp as the air slipped in and out of his broken neck. Sometime during his unconsciousness the tube in his chest was removed and replaced by something foreign in his throat. It itched and burned, but allowed him to breathe through his mouth and nose again. There was a tight immovable brace that felt like Thanos was squeezing his throat. But he woke with Thor by his side. 

Loki’s eyes widened and his breathing changed as Gamora, a daughter of Thanos stood in the room. Thor’s eye moved over to her. 

“There is nothing to fear, she is one of those who saved us,” Thor told him. Loki tried to shake his head but gave a voiceless cry as the bones shifted amidst the tight brace. Loki tried to reach for Thor, only then realizing the arm Thanos had broken was set in a cast. His other hand reached out and Thor took it. “Why do you fear her?” Thor asked. 

Gamora looked at Thor and spoke, though it was hard to hear through the rushing in Loki’s head as every memory, every slash of her blade against him was re-lived in an instant. 

“I didn’t have a choice,” she was saying now. It took Loki a few more moments to remember where he was. “Just like when Thanos sent you to Terra, you had no other choice but to obey.” Loki bared his teeth and could not stop the tears from sliding down his face. 

The road to recovery was to be a difficult one. The motley band of guardians who rescued Loki and his brother were eager to go after the Reality stone before Thanos got there. Thor wanted to go to Nidavellir in hopes of finding a better weapon to fight Thanos. By the time the decision was made, Loki could sit up for short periods of time. He was healing slowly, too slow. While Thanos had wielded the power stone it had drained every drop of magic set in Loki’s reserve. Loki was having a hard time regaining any ability back. And the little that returned worked immediately into keeping him alive and healing his horrific injuries. 

Loki did not let go of Thor’s torn tunic when Thor decided he would leave. Thor was to take the Flora Colossus and the not-rabbit... Loki was sure the creature was not a rabbit as Thor took to naming him. But Loki could not remember the correct term. It didn’t matter. As weak as he was. With his legs refusing to hold him and so weak that he could barely sit up for five minutes at a time, he refused to go with Gamora. He refused to let Thor leave him behind. And Thor, with all his power, chose not to push Loki’s hand away. Instead Thor carefully carried him to the little shuttle and secured him before bidding farewell to the motley band who for some reason decided to save them. 

Loki had been in and out of consciousness during this side of the trip and each time he awoke he did with horrible gasping and gripping at Thor. Only once did this happen when Thor had the ship on autopilot. Thor had to race back to calm Loki down, before the fear and pain destroyed any healing he had managed. 

The last time Loki awoke, it was when they were arriving at their destination. The Not-rabbit gave Thor a mechanical eye. Loki cringed when the not-rabbit mentioned how he had smuggled the eye out. But Thor turned to Loki with a lop-sided grin. “Still handsome?” 

Loki rolled his eyes, that movement at least, was not a painful one. During this motion he looked to Nidavellir and grabbed at Thor making him look. “The eye must not be working, everything is dark.” 

The not-rabbit looked at Loki and Loki frowned. “I think your non-verbal brother is saying that he sees it too.” Thor glanced back at Loki as he brought the small shuttle in for a landing. Loki gave a grunt as Thor didn’t unstrap him from his seat. His good hand shot out to grab at Thor. Thor dodged him and continued to get out. 

“Stay here, brother, just for the moment.” Loki grunted and gasped at him, but there was nothing he could do to stop Thor who was already gone. Loki growled and winced at the pain it caused. He forced himself into deep breaths. 

A loud roar had him jerking forward with another voiceless cry. He managed to unstrap himself with only one hand and forced himself out of the shuttle. His legs shook and everything ached from being upright and broken. But he forced himself forward. He staggered from pillar, to wall to a bit of broken debris until he reached where Eitri was trying to crush Thor. 

Loki gave a grunt, slammed his hand against the wall, trying to make a sound before his legs failed and he slid down the wall. 

“Loki, god of mischief, you traitorous bastard,” Eitri shouted, turned ruined molten fists towards him. 

“NO!” Thor shouted, quickly getting in the way. He stopped Eitri just in time. Loki didn’t even have the strength to flinch. His question was too important. And from the looks of it, Thor wouldn’t hold Eitri back forever. Loki pulled a dagger from his boot with his good hand and began etching into the wall. He got only four runes in before Eitri took a step back. 

“You’re here for Stormbreaker,” the dwarf recognized quickly, to Loki great relief.

He gave a tiny nod that shot agony through his neck. He went limp, sliding the rest of the way down, so that he laid in a heap. 

“Stormbreaker?” Thor asked, not taking his eyes off of the dwarf. 

“Odin had a messenger sent from Asgard to have Stormbreaker ordered. It was one of his last acts before diminishing his control here,” Eitri said as he took a step back, his ruined fists pulling away from Thor. 

Thor looked over at Loki. “Impossible, Odin had been on Earth the last three and a half years.” 

“Then someone masquerading as Odin truly wanted someone of Asgard to wield the power of Stormbreaker,” Eitri stated he was also looking at Loki.

“I thought you didn’t like me wielding grand and powerful tools,” Thor asked Loki as everyone stared at him. 

Loki did not have an answer for either of them. His strength was too far gone to even attempt to convey the message that he wanted Thanos dead. Thor turned back to Eitri. “Please, I know Asgard has failed you. That I have failed you. But please understand that our power in the 9 has dwindled to that of two brothers on the mission to slay a Titan. If you stay your fists from my brother, all will know the one who forged the weapon that killed a titan.” 

Eitri nodded with a tired smirk on his face. Things seemed to go smoother from there. Though both Thor and Loki had forgotten how dwarves could hold a grudge. A prank that had been fun to Loki in his youth had almost been their heads upon arriving in the near ruin. It was only the fact that Asgard had been destroyed (nearly completely) by that same Mad Titan.

Thor helped Loki move through the station. And Loki had tried to stop Thor from opening the eye of Nidavellir. But there was no stopping him. Even if Loki hadn’t been more than a heap of broken bones, Loki wasn’t sure he would have been able to stop Thor. It all ended with the two sons of Odin laid out and useless. Thor with his burns and Loki with his broken neck, arm and drained seidr. Thor looked like he was close to his own near death. 

Loki reached after the battle axe. The Flora Colossus had given his own living branched limb for the sake of a handle. Loki had to hurry as he dragged his body across the forge. Even though he was fully aware that he wouldn’t be able to lift it. He tried his hardest because the weapon was flooded with seidr that could heal Thor’s injuries at once. Loki could see it crackle with energy. If only Thor could hold it in his hands. 

He heard a sigh that almost sounded final. Loki took a quick look behind, having to twist his whole body to avoid further pain to his spine. Thor gave another little grunt as he stirred. He couldn’t even lift his hand, but it opened instead. A silent order to come. The weapon lifted itself into the air and for a moment it only levitated, as if it was considering who was worthy, before it flung itself into Thor’s hand. 

Lightning crackled over his skin and the burns faded quickly. Thor stood up just as fast. His eyes glowed with lightning and seidr. He cast a glance around for Loki and when he found him, moved effortly over and reached for Loki. The Not-Rabbit and the Flora Colossus, Thor grabbed for next.

“Take us to Thanos!” Thor shouted and Stormbreaker took them. The power of Stormbreaker, newly formed and birthed, raging with the seidr of a neutron star not only healed Thor from his severe burns. It also, at such close contact to Loki’s depleted stores immediately replenished his them. 

In an instant and a raging pain that had Loki screaming at the approximately; all of his minor injuries rapidly healed, the cartilage reformed, his vocal cords recovered, the cuts and bruises, in an instant, not a problem anymore. The artificial tube that had been put into his throat for breathing dissolved and was cast out by a single heavy cough. The major damage done to his spine and the two bones in his bad arm still remained problematic, but recovery time had changed from weeks to days.

“To Thanos!” Thor shouted, though barely heard in the tunnel of bifrost light. Loki didn’t even have the chance to protest, or even suggest a strategy. Stormbreaker’s blinding rainbow light of the bifrost whirled around them. Within moments it landed them in the center of a battle ground. 

Loki legs held him, this time as he attempted to stand. Thor threw Stormbreaker much like he would Mjolnir and the battle axe tore through Thanos’ army even before the light of Bifrost could fade. Their two other companions were already joining the battle as Loki summoned his daggers. His broken arm protested at the movement, but surely he would fight this day. 

“Get some place secure,” Thor ordered him. Loki froze and turned back to look at his brother.

“You can’t think of doing this alone-,” Loki told him, making Thor look back as Loki managed to speak once more. 

Thor caught Stombreaker as it returned to him and he threw Strombreaker out a second time, killing a hundred spacedogs in one shot. “I’m not alone,” Thor told him. As the light from the Bifrost dimmed, Loki turned to see the Avengers and many others, fighting. “Get somewhere secure, it will be the one order as King of Asgard gives you. Please,” Thor begged with a sadness to his eyes, before he caught Stormbreaker in his hands once more. 

“Very well,” Loki consented at last. His stores of seidr overflowed now and it took nothing to hide himself in plain sight with his seidr. He could move easily throughout the battlefield, invisible to all. 

Loki moved carefully hidden on the battlefield towards the pulsating beacon of the Mind Stone. If Loki could not help on the field he would protect this stone from Thanos. It was easy and quiet as he entered the building where the stone laid. Only as he reached the final door did he see Corvus Glaive as he slaughtered the guards. How was it that there were no Avengers here? 

There was however a young girl, from the brief glance, appeared to be trying to separate the stone from...ah, the Vision. Loki remembered that report Thor had given to Odin, about the creature that the Norns insisted needed to be born. 

No time to ask why separate at all, for he revealed himself before Corvus Glaive could strike out at the young woman. 

“You’re supposed to be dead!” Corvus Glaive declared as he turned on Loki. 

“I get that a lot,” Loki told him as he weaved a spell. Glaive tried to dodge it. But again, with Loki’s power over flowing, it was much too easy to weave a seeker, It wouldn’t stop following Glaive until it hit him. 

Glaive’s meager shield protected him a little from the blast, but did nothing as Loki struck the dagger into his abdomen, right into the leaking wound. Glaive gave out a shriek as he flung the second prince away. Loki’s back and head hit hard against the wall. Even though Loki still wore the neck brace, he felt the bones shift. It stunned him fully and he laid too long on the ground. He tried to get up but Glaive’s foot pressed against his broken arm. Loki screamed again. It would take longer for that to heal, as bones splintered. 

“Stay dead,” Glaive snarled at Loki as he brought his own blade down. 

He missed. Glaive missed as the blade angled off target and ground into the wall. Glaive’s blood dripped onto Loki’s face as he noticed a spear impaled through Glaive’s throat. 

The young woman whom Loki had protected used her full body and force to help Glaive topple away from Loki’s body. 

Loki pulled back his pulverized arm and slowly sat up. The woman, hardly, was young. 

“You are Loki,” she said. 

“Yes,” Loki told her, rather than trying to nod his head. 

“Invader of New York City, all those years ago.” 

“But…” Loki said slowly. “If you recall, Thanos did not come then.” 

“What?” 

“I had to fail. It was my only way to escape him,” Loki tried. 

“Either way, you saved me. I trust that you will do nothing to harm me. I am Shuri. Can you continue to guard us?” She asked him, helping him to sit up. Loki agreed to helping. “Just a few more minutes and I will be done,” Shuri told him when Loki was upright. 

“Why are you trying to, ah, separate the stone from him?” Loki asked her as he took to bandaging his own arm. 

“This is a terrible time for chit-chat,” Shuri growled at him, her fingers engulfed in the delicate light. 

“From my experience, would it not be better to simply have the Vision use the stone to fight?” 

“I am right here,” the creature said, startling Loki. 

“Stop talking, this is hard enough!” Shuri fussed back. She glanced back at Loki. “We have someone who is sure she can destroy the stone. No mind stone, no all powerful glove.” 

Loki looked back alarmed. “Surtur, King of the fire demons on Museplium destroyed Asgard with a single strike of his blade. A whole planet gone. That would not have been strong enough to destroy an infinity stone. Yet you claim a mere mortal could?” 

“She is quite powerful,” the Vision told Loki. 

“It's done!” Shuri cried stepping back. Little mechanical clamps lifted up, the mind stone, separated from the vision. Loki stared for a moment before casting a barrier spell. He was too slow. The gem burst into light, shining brightly. A painful ringing filled his head. 

“Fools!” Loki cried out. “She wants to be found. She wants to be used!” Loki tried to warn as finally his spell leapt forward in a green haze and wrapped around the writhing yellow light. The little ball of shield turned bright blue and the mind stone seemed to change to that color as well. Loki couldn’t keep looking at it. 

The Vision was on his feet and Shuri was standing too close to it. “Why is it blue now?” 

“Any time a filter or casing is put around it, it shifts colors,” Loki told her. He gave her a faint smile. “Trust me, if I had known what I myself had wielded when I invaded, I would have buried myself much deeper, never to be found.” 

“Why do you keep saying such things?” Shuri asked. Her curiosity shifting immediately to another topic as she reached for some sort of scanning device that she used on the stone,

“Because you are Midgardian. Without my brother here, I am only a hair away from revenge for what I have done. I hope to avoid such an outcome. And neither would I like to be mistaken as the enemy,” Loki told her honestly.

“Clearly you aren’t that, unless fighting one of them was meant to betray us,” the Vision told Loki. 

“My brother sent me away from the battlefield. I thought I could still be useful,” Loki told him. 

“Fighting with a broken arm and neck…” Shuri muttered. Loki looked back at her, now the scanning device was pointed at him. “I could help with that,” she said, glancing at the table. 

“I would rather remain on my feet for now,” Loki told her. He was immediately justified in his saying so as something flew into the room. The hair on the back of his neck rose as he felt a strange power wash over him. A woman dropped next to the Vision, her hair all about her face and her eyes glowing red. Loki brought a dagger up, only in his good hand, his other arm was useless. Her arms were up, about to cast a spell. Hex magic, Loki realized too soon. 

The Vision stepped up to her instead. “No, Wanda, he helped us. He is on our side.” 

Immediately she put her hands down and Loki cautiously lowered his dagger. 

“I’ll destroy the mind stone now,” the woman declared. 

“With Hex magic alone?” Loki asked. 

The woman- Wanda looked back at him. “What do you mean?” She asked as Shuri pulled Wanda to the glowing free floating stone. 

“Your power,” Loki said, confused himself at her strange question. “The type of magic you wield. Surely you know what kind it is? Hex magic.” 

“There’s different kinds?” she asked. 

Loki’s brows crinkled and he looked over to Shuri. “A young witch, who knows nothing is to destroy an infinity stone...with Hex magic?” 

“My power was born out of the stone,” the witch said. She held her hands up. “Remove the barrier and I will end this.” 

Loki took a step back. Nervous as he felt her power gather. A sudden rumble and shake of the building followed had Loki turning and looking out of the window. Thanos had arrived. Loki looked back at the others. 

“Now, Loki!” Shuri cried. Loki took a breath and held it. He opened the barrier. 

His shield broke as Thanos reached forward, but a blinding light stopped him. Loki shuddered as he felt the concussive power being sucked out of, everything. He heard it shatter. He turned, for he could hardly believe. But he saw the pieces fall limply to the ground. An infinity stone, gone. 

Thanos’ fist rammed into Loki’s side, shattering bruised ribs as he fell helplessly. A green gem glowed in Thanos’ fist. “No,” Loki choked out as he felt the time stone being used. The pieces reassembled into that floating golden glowing orb. The power reentering this reality. Loki gagged as the screaming returned inside of his head as the stone returned to life. 

Then it was all over in a moment. The light of the power of the stones dimmed and the heavy thud of gauntlet and arm hit the floor. Thor’s axe dripped the blood of a Titan, before the next move, a quick swing, beheaded the purple monster. Forever.


	2. And then he awoke

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Loki wakes up from his trip down memory lane.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short chapter. Just an after thought to connect the first and second parts.

Loki jerked awake from the memories of fighting Thanos, when he had become an Avenger. An honorary one at that. The battle was vicious and many lives were lost. But they had one it, they had stopped the inevitable that Loki feared so greatly. And Thanos would trouble him no more. 

Loki turned over all the words, the devastatingly painful truth of what he had done and what he had suffered. Alice knew those secrets. But there was something else. Her explanation of what happened to her. 

Loki ran through her conversation again. She had thrown him off with the words and secrets. But she had given herself away. What had she said? Loki closed his eyes and remembered back. Her dark brown hair curled roundly about her face. It was the one time she was looking right at him with those cold hazel eyes. 

_“My power allows me to manipulate a small piece of space and time.”_ Facts that Loki already knew. A part of a trick? 

_“But it has done something to me.”_ A culprit, responsible for her powers. Loki recalled being confused, distracted, not understanding, not fully listening as she spoke the words. He was waiting for the point of her rambling. Alice always tended to say too many words. 

_“When I dream it is like I am in a completely different place and everything here, with the Skrulls, what happened with what Thanos did. Ending half of all life all of it is just stories, just pretend.”_

Loki sat bolt up in his bed as he recalled her exact words. He hadn’t listened, not really when she spoke. He didn’t put the two sentences together. He hadn’t understood what she was saying to him. The other pieces, equating it all to dreams. He had assumed. Foolish. Loki had assumed That the thing Thanos did was attempt to destroy half of all life. But looking back. It seemed to be that Alice was referring to something else. Did she see a timeline in which Thanos was successful? 

“I’ve seen a lot of possibilities. But because of them. I mean when the snap happened I was gone, just dust. Before it I was normal, but when I came back I had this power.” It was here, where she revealed herself. And Loki was lost, put off distracted because she admitted to knowing his secrets. Was it possible that Alice managed to manipulate him without the use of her power? That was if Loki believed her when she swore she had never used her power on him. 

He did, actually. Loki could catch just about any lie told by a Midgardian. He was good at telling deception.


End file.
